


Found and Forgiven

by tearoseglasses



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 3
Genre: During the events of Fallout 4, Rich finally finds Dr. Li after nearly 10 years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:55:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26641039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tearoseglasses/pseuds/tearoseglasses
Kudos: 1





	Found and Forgiven

Rich tenses, grabbing Tim’s arm. 

“Rich? What’s wrong?”

“It’s her… Dr. Li.” 

The older woman is sitting among the other scientists in the courtyard. She looks so… Tired.

“You gonna talk to her?”

“She left because I was stupid…”

“Well, you haven’t gotten any smarter.”

“Shut up.”

“You’ve looked for her for 10 years. You have no idea how she’s gonna react. For all you know, she could think you never woke up.”

“You’re making me feel worse, Tim.”

“And you’re thinking too much. You haven't changed that much in the last 10 years. She’ll recognize you.”

“She’s going to be angry.”

“You can’t help that.”

“Yeah. Yeah, okay. Here I go.”

“Good luck. You’ll be fine.”

“Yeah.” He lets go of Tim’s arm and starts weaving through the people and synths. He stops in front of the woman.

“Uh. Dr. Li?”

“I don’t need anything.” She sighs, fiddling with a pencil.

He stands still, tongue in a knot, “I. I woke up.”

“What?”

“I woke up.” 

She looks up, dropping the pencil. “Richard?”

“Hi, Dr. Li.”

“Richard.” She stands up, “You. You’re alive.”

“I’m alive.”

She takes his face into her hands, staring at him. “You left the brotherhood?”

“Lyons' pride died out. They stopped listening to me. It got a little too. Much. Charon died and I just. Ran out into the middle of nowhere. But I met the awkward-looking Ghoul over there, Tim.”

“You’re okay?”

“Well. Got more scars and I’m missing a small bit of my frontal lobe, but yeah. All in all, I’m good.”

“Good. Good.”

“I’m sorry.” His voice cracks, “I thought you died because of me.”

“Richard, it-”

“It was my fault. I made the choice to start the purifier even though-”

“Richard.” Her voice is the same level of sternness as ever, “You are fine.” 

“But-”

“Richard Job Holt,” She pulls him into a hug. He returns it as quickly as possible, almost lifting her in the air, “You did exactly what your father did. And I don’t blame you for that. But seeing Charon pull you out out the purifier and then stuck in the bed for weeks and the mistreatment I had taken from the Brotherhood was too much for me. I had hoped I'd see you again someday, but some from the brotherhood thought I knew too much. The Institute was the only safe place I could find. I can only hope that now, the Brotherhood won’t come after me.”

They let each other go. “They’re too crippled at the moment.”

“They haven’t tried to find you, have they?”

“Sarah wiped any information about me off the Brotherhood’s databases. They only have the memory of me.”

“Good.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.”

“There’s a scientist in Goodneighbor. She’s pretty nice. You could go there.”

“Where are you staying?”

“Goodneighbor… They won’t let Tim into Diamond.”

“Hmm.” She laughs softly, “I’ll go back with you. I haven’t been in the wasteland for a long time and I never was great at fighting. But right now, I’m basically your aunt so you should introduce me to Tim.”

“Absolutely.” He holds out a hand and she takes it, allowing him to drag her like a child through the crowd of people and to the Ghoul.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Dr. Li.”

“You too. How did you meet Richard?”

“I found him passed out in a swamp.”

“A swamp?”

“A swamp.”

“It is a long story and one that would make you angry at me.”

“So it’s best I don’t hear it?”

“Not right now, at least.”


End file.
